Heartbreaker, Playmaker
by makorrashenanigans
Summary: Korra was a reckless heartbreaker. Mako was a calculating playmaker. There's sure to be trouble and tension when she tries out for his soccer team and catches the interest of several of his teammates, including his own brother, Bolin. All Human.
1. Just One of the Guys

**Heartbreaker, Playmaker**

Hey guys! So this is my very first "Legend of Korra" fanfiction and after watching the show I just _knew _I had to write about it. I planned on writing a little a bit after more was revealed, but I just couldn't wait ^^ I fell in love with all the characters and their distinct personalities and c'mon, Mako's pretty damn sexy. But first here's some background info to clear some things up: 1) they are in college—ages will be revealed later, 2) this is an ALL HUMAN fic, 3) characters will be a bit OOC. That is all (:

Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra, but I do own this plot.

* * *

**Just One of the Guys**

"No way," Mako replied, giving it no second thought.

"Why not?" Bolin whined, his arms thrown up in exasperation. "You haven't even seen her play. This is pretty sexist of you to deny her just because she's a girl!"

"Bo," sighed his older brother, "we have a decent team this year. We can't screw it up by letting a girl onto the team. Sides, I bet she doesn't even play soccer. She's probably just another girl trying to impress you." Mako continued juggling the soccer ball on his thighs, ignoring the pout on Bolin's face. "Tryouts ended ten minutes ago, she's was too late anyways."

Minutes passed, and when the trademark pout never faded, Mako knew that Bolin wasn't going to give up until he gave in. He let the ball fall to the ground before kicking it into the net, his thumb and index finger coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. If anyone would be able to even recommend adding a girl on the team to the coach, it would be Mako. And if anyone would be able to convince Mako of letting a girl even try out, it would be Bolin. Mako sighed again, "Fine, what's her name, what position does she play, and how old is she?"

Bolin opened his mouth to respond, but a different voice answered. "Her name's Korra, she usually plays forward, but has experience playing everything, and she just turned eighteen this summer. She's also a huge fan of the Fire Ferrets and Ma—"

Mako groaned inwardly. _Great, what have you gotten yourself into? _"Can you even kick a ball?" he interjected sharply.

"Oh—," Korra blinked, "well, yeah. Like I said, I play forward." She shifted uncomfortably, not sure if confidence would play off as arrogance in this type of situation. She decided in swallowing her pride, just this once. The last thing she wanted to do was get on the wrong foot with the captain of the Fire Ferrets.

"Sure," was Mako's quick response, a hint of condescension evident in his tone. He paced in circles around the girl, scrutinizingly. Slowly, he walked over to the nearest ball and bent down to scoop it into his hands and then kicked it in the girl's direction, hitting her square in the upper thigh. The sound of leather slapping against flesh was painful in itself, but the jeering expression on Mako's face made it hurt even more.

Green eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, Bolin's jaw dropping to the floor. "Excuse my brother," he apologized profusely, smiling nervously. "The proper etiquette lessons never really penetrated through his thick noggin." As unsubtly as possible, Bolin pulled his brother off to the side by his collar. "Dude, _what are you doing_?" he whisper-shouted, pointing at a very confused looking Korra. "You don't just . . . you don't just hit a girl like that!"

Mako shrugged. "I didn't hit her."

"You freakin' kicked a ball at her!" Frustrated, Bolin threw his face into his palm. "And I thought _I _was awkward with girls," he muttered.

"And you told me she could play soccer," Mako retorted angrily, pushing an accusing finger into his brother's chest. "Bo, why do I have to keep telling you to stay away from these kind of girls? They're nothing but trouble."

Korra frowned, overhearing their conversation. "What do you mean '_these kind of girls'_? What kind of girl do you think I am, huh, pretty boy?"

Pretty boy? Did someone just really call Mako that? Oh, hell was definitely going to break loose. Mako couldn't stand a lot of things, but one of his biggest pet peeves was definitely the usage of clichéd nicknames.

He whirled around furiously, this time finding himself not looking at another girl chasing his brother around, but at a toned and lean _athlete_. From her designer Nike cleats all the way to the blue elastic band that kept her brown hair in place, Mako came to the conclusion that Bolin hadn't been lying. The area where the ball had hit her was still red, but she showed no sign of injury with her smooth, clean stride. Fists clenched at her sides, Korra made her way over to the brothers until she was practically nose to nose with Mako, glaring him in the eye—ice blue clashing with fiery amber.

"Throw me a ball," she snarled. "And I'll show you just what kind of girl I am."

So much for swallowing her pride.

A smirk crossed Mako's lips. He couldn't wait to put her ego into place. Picking up the ball he'd previously kicked at her, he glanced at his younger brother who was shaking his head so violently in disapproval that it could have just fallen off. But it was too late. This newcomer had pushed his temper to the limit. He hadn't known her for more than 5 minutes and she already made his blood boil. And not in the good way.

He stood directly in front of her, soccer ball in hand, and deftly tossed it to her. His eyes narrowed, watching the ball carefully, and then watching as a tan leg kicked it with such precision that it was sent flying into the goal. Perfectly.

He was even considering giving her a compliment, until he saw the smug look on her face. Aggravated, he shouted, "Beginner's luck!" She didn't seem to hear him as her smile never faltered.

Then, another ball was thrown in her direction. And another ball made it into the goal. Mako tried all different types of throws, lower hand, upper hand, and even just plain chucking the damned ball at her . . . and each one she effortlessly kicked into the net.

After several balls had been thrown, and no girly cries or shrieks had been enjoyed, Mako's shoulders finally slumped in defeat. "Fine," he grumbled, knowing that his little brother had been right for once. They needed this headstrong girl on their team, because in all honesty, she could kick better than half the guys on the team.

Bolin's eyes lit up, "What was that Mako?"

"Fine, she can be on the team," he said, rushing his words, "but only if she learns to keep that temper of hers in check."

Korra's entire face heated with annoyance (despite the fact that she was jumping with joy inside) and as much as she wanted to tackle the jerk to the ground, she kept her composure, though she couldn't quite keep her right eye from twitching angrily at Mako . . . her new captain.

~:*:~

"This is the Fire Ferret locker room," Bolin said smiling at Korra, pushing the door open dramatically as if it were some big revelation. "You might wanna stay out here so that we can introduce you to the guys."

Mako grinned. "She's part of the team now, Bo. Let her see what she's really getting herself into," he taunted as he walked past them, his warm breath lingering at the nape of her neck.

In front of Korra, at least a dozen soccer players stood . . . half naked. She'd seen men like this before, in much more . . . precarious situations, but she'd definitely never blushed like this before. Maybe it was because Bolin was standing next to her, grinning like an idiot. Maybe it was because that at least twenty-four eyes were looking at her all at once. Or maybe it was because Mako was in the back of the room, lifting his jersey over his head with one deft tug, revealing tightly toned abs.

"Hey Bolin," Korra murmured quietly, "you wouldn't happen to know where a girl can catch a shower around here would ya?"

And as if Mako had heard her from all the way across the locker room, she heard him shout, "Part of the team means being a team player. You have to shower in here like the rest of us . . . in _communal _showers."

The word "communal" struck Korra particularly hard. She was confident, but she didn't exactly want to be thrown to a pack of wolves—or ferrets she should say—like a piece of meat. Communal meant that she would be able to see _everything_, with no barrier, nothing. And _vice-_versa. She felt her cheeks heating up again and began a fit of coughs.

Bolin patted her back awkwardly, adding more unwanted attention to the mix. "Nothing to see here, boys. She's just one of the guys," he blurted loudly. Korra glared at him.

Mako raised an eyebrow at them and smirked, lifting a foot onto a wooden bench to untie his shoelaces. Korra wanted nothing more in her life than to smack that stupid smirk off his face. So she decided that she would.

Taking a deep breath, Korra began preparing herself for the unthinkable, but that Mako guy really, _really _pissed her off like no other. And then she was sauntering towards the team's captain, hips swaying in a way that made the males in the room stare—or rather _ogle_. It also didn't help that right now _they _were the ones who were vulnerable, seeing as though only towels wrapped around their waists were the only things shielding them from the predator in the room.

_I'll show them that I'm not 'just one of the guys'_, Korra thought bitterly. Then, just as graceful as her soccer moves had been, her hands reached down to the hem of her shirt and, teasingly, pulled it over her head. To her honey colored skin that looked so soft and touchable all the way up to the bra that supported her round breasts proved that she was definitely _not_ one of the guys.

Bolin's feet remained glued to the doorway, a dumbfounded look on his face as his mouth hung wide open. "Korra, w-what are you—" And then she was shimmying out of her shorts, causing Bolin to shut his mouth and look away shyly.

Mako had been completely unaware of anything going on in the locker room. He didn't notice the sudden silence of his teammates, nor did he acknowledge the fact that while he was mindlessly untying his laces that a girl had made her way to him and was now standing in nothing but a bra and panties. When he looked up, the first thing he saw was Korra's taut stomach and as his eyes traveled upwards, he saw her arms crossed over her chest and then that foolish, _arrogant_ smirk on her face.

"Well," she began, "you said that if I was going to be a part of this team that I had to shower in here." Her eyes flickered over to the communal showers and then snapped back at Mako, challenging him. "I'm game if you are," she whispered into his ear, walking past him as a hand came up to unhook the wire clasps of her bra.

The smirk on Mako's face had definitely vanished by this point, because this was the first time someone had actually gotten him to shut up. And then he was yelling at his teammates to get out of the locker room, leaving a smirking Korra to shower in peace.

"You were so whipped back there," Bolin teased the minute Mako stepped out of the room.

Mako glared at his brother. He hated not being in control, and he knew that by allowing this girl (whom he had already dubbed as stubborn and hotheaded) onto the team would only cause him to lose a great amount of said control.

Guess he would just have to make sure that joining the Fire Ferrets would be the greatest mistake of her life . . .

* * *

So yup, not as big of a cliffy as I hoped or am used to, but hopefully you're still interested. There's definitely going to be a love triangle and/or love "rectangle" ;) Asami will be introduced shortly.

If you guys were able to read through all the crap above, could you please leave me back some constructive criticism? I'm used to writing for the "Maximum Ride" fandom and there wasn't really much concrit back there, usually just "OMGOSH, UPDATE" and part of the reason I came here was for some concrit. So anything you guys could give would be greatly appreciated :] I'll give you a virtual cookie if you do and I'll be responding the reviews as well.

I'm also SUPER self-conscious about my work, especially the first chapters of things, because I have no idea if people will like it or not. So please review and tell me whatcha think :D

If I get at least **5 **reviews I'll know that some people are interested and if I get **15+ **I'll try and update asap!

Have a good day! (:

Edit: I've been finding so many mistakes on syntax, please excuse those as I only wrote this story this morning in, like, 2 hours. Sorry again!


	2. Growing Pains

**Heartbreaker, Playmaker**

Hiya dudes! Here's the second installment of "Heartbreaker, Playmaker"! Enjoy and please give back as much feedback as possible :D

Disclaimer: I don't own LoK, but I do own this plot. 'Cause I just love soccer and LoK. Guilty.

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**Growing Pains**

"Bo, come on, we're going to be late for work." Mako nudged his younger brother, and when he saw no motion of him getting up, he went on further to snap open the curtains in the room. He smirked when he saw Bolin tousle around in his bed, attempting to shield his face from the sunlight. "Toza's going to have our heads if we're not on time and you know that we need this job." A muffled groan was all he heard in response. "You know, you may not need to eat," Mako teased, "but a certain ferret needs to."

At the mention of his beloved ferret, Bolin dragged himself out of bed and trudged to the bathroom, his head hanging low like a still-half-asleep zombie. If only he'd glanced at the clock to see that he still had a good three hours before "being late for work". But this was typical Mako, supervisory, monitoring, calculating. He planned everything beforehand so that his brother wouldn't have to, making sure that _everything_ went according to plan because he knew for a fact that there was absolutely no room for distractions.

After only a few minutes, Bolin emerged out of the bathroom, steam following behind him as he stopped in the doorway to stretch and let out a yawn. As he was scratching the back of his head, he saw Mako and Pabu sprawled out on the couch still only in a white undershirt and boxers. "I thought you said we were gonna be late for work?" He glanced at the clock. It was only 7:00 a.m.

"Hey, better earlier than late, right?" Mako said, placing Pabu on the coffee table before prancing off into the bathroom.

"The saying is better _late _than never!" Bolin shouted at the closed door. He looked at his pet ferret who was currently waddling around on top of his open laptop and laughed when Pabu jumped up after accidentally turning the volume up.

" _. . . and word that the Fire Ferrets have allowed a female onto the team is spreading like wildfire. Everyone is talking about who this mysterious girl is. Could she be a possible love interest for one of the team's members? Or better yet, could she be the love interest for the stone-hearted team captain Mako? Since it was him that convinced Coach Tarlok to accept Korra onto the team."_

Bolin scrunched his nose at this. His brother with Korra? Yeah. When hell freezes over.

"_It was later reported that Korra and Mako left their locker room significantly later than the other team members. Is it possible that he was doing more than just welcoming her onto the team? Find out next time and remember never to back down to the tyranny of athletes, because everyone is, or will eventually be, equal. Until next time, Amon."_

Mako had told him about this Amon person before. He had said that Amon was just some radio jockey from the university's Broadcasting Club trying to exploit athletes with made-up stories of their personal lives. He didn't think much of it before, because he thought Mako was just messing with him. But now he knew that Mako wasn't joking when he told him to watch his actions . . .

When Mako came out of the shower room, Bolin didn't have the guts to tell his brother what he'd just heard on the radio. So instead, he just quietly watched him get ready. A quiet Bolin, of course, was not a normal Bolin, and Mako was immediately aware that something had happened to upset his brother. "Why the long face, Bo?"

"Huh?" Bolin asked, snapping out of his daze. "Nothing, now hurry up before we're late for work!"

As soon as Mako was fully dressed, Bolin was already tugging his arm out the door. "What's the rush, Bo? We've still got a few minutes to relax."

"Better earlier than late, right?" his brother mimicked.

However, as soon as Bolin opened the door whatever, or _whoever_, he was trying to avoid just so happened to be standing on the other side. A fist was raised above her head like she was just about to knock—or rather _pound_—on the door. _I have the worst timing, _Bolin thought.

Her icy blue gaze was directed solely towards the eldest brother, a snarl on her lips. She would've shoved him in the chest if she hadn't remembered that he was the team captain and could've taken her off the team just as easily as he'd gotten her on. But hell, she would've loved to give him a good punch. "What the hell did I just hear on the radio?" she nearly yelled. She was so furious that she didn't even give them a chance to explain. "That I'm supposedly your 'love-interest'," she scoffed. "I think I'd rather be eaten alive by vultures."

Now, it was Mako's turn to fume as his hands clenched into fists and the tips of his ears heated red. "I have no idea what goes on in your over imaginative head, but I can _assure _you that you are nowhere near 'my type'," he seethed back, and Bolin had to hold him back by the arms to make sure he didn't lunge himself at Korra.

"You arrogant son of a—"

"Hey, Korra," Bolin interrupted, "do you mind, uh, joining me in this corner." Before she could even open her mouth, she was hauled over to his side. "He doesn't know anything about what was said on the radio this morning," he tried saying covertly.

Mako, who was standing only about a foot away from them, raised an eyebrow in question. "What was said on the radio?" He glanced at the furious Korra and then at the nervous expression on Bolin's face.

"Some Amon guy saying that you were '_doing more than just welcoming me onto the team'_ and that people shouldn't give in to the _'tyranny of athletes_' and some equality crap. And no one on the team is no where near tyrannical," her eyes flickered to Mako, "well, you're the only exception."

Mako glared. "So Amon is digging again? With a girl on the team the Fire Ferret's are going to be an easy target this year. Who knows what lies he'll come up with now." He looked at his younger brother seriously. "And you, Bolin, you better be careful with what you do. One mistake and he'll be all over you." He'd glanced at Korra briefly at his last sentence, but she didn't miss the look of disgust he gave her.

~:*:~

During Bolin's break, Korra had gone to visit him at the local ice cream parlor where he worked. She'd only been on the team for about a week, but she and Bolin had bonded easily since he was one of the friendlier guys on the team.

From behind the counter, Mako stood wiping the ice cream scoops dry as Korra balanced a cardboard cup holder in one hand and three paper bags in the other, staring at the obstacle in front of her. He was contemplating opening the door for her, but Bolin had beat him to it as he had already swung the door open for her, bowing playfully while saying _'Your Majesty'_. He watched Korra laugh and then lightly elbow him in the ribs.

"Hey," he heard her say. "You hungry yet?"

"Starved," Bolin replied, smiling. "So how was your day? Anything interesting happen to you in the past three hours?"

"If you call studying for a Biology midterm 'interesting'."

They walked over to an empty booth by the window and sat down. Bolin eyed her as she began unpacking their lunch. "Hey, you okay? You look a little un-Korra-like. You know you can tell me anything."

Korra gave him a soft smile, reaching out to touch his hand on the table. "Thanks, Bolin. That means a lot," she whispered. She continued taking out the food in the bags, trying to ignore his anxious stare, still waiting for her to tell him what was wrong. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you, but you have to swear not to tell anyone, not even Mako."

"Depends if you're some sort of serial killer," Bolin jested. "Other than that, I swear. Scout's honor." He placed his right hand on his heart and raised the left, showing his pearly white teeth.

"Alright," Korra sighed. "Our building's been tightening its belt after some guys were found drunk on our floor after curfew. Now they've got staff checking all the rooms and it won't be long until they find Naga."

"You murdered someone and now you've been keeping their remains in the closet in your room!" Bolin gasped mockingly. "Why Korra, I didn't know you were that type of person!" His comment earned him a smack on the arm.

"No, Naga's my dog. And if they find her, they'll have her removed."

Bolin understood how Korra was feeling and maybe if he didn't have Pabu he would've never been inclined to say, "Why don't you move into my building? It's the only animal-friendly zone on campus and Ian and Jace are looking for an vacant room since Ian's allergic to Pabu, my pet ferret."

"You think Ian and Jace would be willing to switch room's with me?" Korra asked, blue eyes glinting with hope. "I really don't know what to do with Naga. She's been my best friend since I can remember."

Bolin shrugged, taking a bite into his roast beef sandwich. "Sure, why not? I'll make the arrangements after work."

When Mako looked up again, Korra had enveloped Bolin in a big bear hug, squeezing the life out of him. "You're the greatest, Bolin."

~:*:~

Later that day, photos of Korra hugging Bolin and a pokerfaced Mako in the background made it into leather-clad hands. A smile, one that was graced with nothing but pure malice, crossed the collector's lips as he examined the pictures.

"This new girl, Korra, might just be the downfall of the highly acclaimed Fire Ferrets, Amon. You know how Tahno isn't too pleased with letting a girl onto the team."

With his eyes still glued to the pictures, the man nodded his head slowly. "She might be more than just the downfall of the Fire Ferrets. She can also be the fissure that divides the Fabulous Fire Ferret brothers. United they stand, but divided . . . they fall."

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Yup. Sorry this was a SUPER BORING chapter. *scratches head* I've just been uber busy and this is the only thing that came to mind. I might make this chapter a little longer later. I dunno. This was just a "building up plot" chapter. But after watching the latest episode . . . eeeek . . . I was given a TON of new plotlines for this story.

By the way, for those of you wondering,** NO Amon isn't some psycho killer guy on the hunt for Mako, Korra, and Bolin**. He is just the university's radio jockey/DJ/newscaster, etc. And he's just upset that the athletes or "jocks" get certain benefits just because they play a sport. I did the best to translate the whole shebang with Amon into an all-human, college fic lol XD I thought a person out to get soccer players was a bit much lol :P

Anywho, thoughts, comments? **Do you guys like where I'm going with this?** Yes, No? I haven't edited this yet, so any spelling/grammar errors may or may not be fixed later XD

Please, please, give me some feedback dudes. **And I PROMISE that for this chapter, I will respond to ALL reviews and I will give excerpts for the next chapter to my reviewers as well.** I only got through like half last time and I'm really sorry that some of my reviewers didn't get the excerpt. I changed it anyways, so . . . I'm sorry. But I pinky swear that I will for this chapter! :D I'm less . . . busy nowadays.

Thanks guys for all the support! See ya around :D

The review button is just below, you know you want to press it ;) I'll update again when I reach at least **80 reviews**.


	3. Welcome to the Team

**Heartbreaker, Playmaker**

Hey, Sam here (: Here's the 3rd chapter of "Heartbreaker, Playmaker"! Enjoy!

Also please read the important A/N at the bottom :D

* * *

**Welcome to the Team**

Korra crashed into the couch after a long days work of unpacking her things into the new dorm room. She was told that it would be nothing fancy, but as long she had her own bathroom and was able to keep Naga, no room could have possibly beat this one. Plus, it had a great view of the campus since it was located on the top floor.

But even though the problem with Naga had been resolved, Korra still couldn't get her mind off of what Amon had said. After his little spiel, Mako instructed the entire team to avoid listening to his broadcasts and warned them of doing anything foolish. He had repeatedly said _"everything you do affects the whole team"_ and all the while, he had been looking at Korra.

"Stupid Mako," Korra muttered as she flung a pillow across the room. She crossed her arms indignantly and pouted. "I don't know what they see in him, Naga. He may be a good soccer player, but he's the biggest jerk in the world." Naga pressed her nose against Korra's thigh and whined in response to her anger. In return, Korra stroked her dog's white fur and smiled softly. "Sorry, girl. I didn't mean to take it out on you, but you're the only one I can talk to about this kind of stuff. It's just that," her voice softened slightly, "he's so infuriating." She paused and stared up at the ceiling. "I wouldn't be surprised if the guy stayed single his entire life."

She let that thought linger for a while before closing her eyes and passing out from sheer exhaustion. Naga nuzzled Korra's limp hand, whining a little, and then placing her head on her owner's lap.

~:*:~

"We've got our first game in a few days and half of you can't sprint to save your lives," Mako announced as he eyed each member with narrowed eyes. He took in a deep breath before continuing. "And if we want to start this season out well, it is _imperative_ that we win this game. Coach Tarrlok and I have already decided on positions. They'll be posted outside of the locker rooms today after practice." He gave a particular glance in Korra's direction, which terrified her a little since her fate practically lay in the hands of someone who hated her with such passion.

Though she and Bolin were considered "friends", her and Mako were certainly not. Secretly, a part of her thought that he had it in for her. She knew it was foolish, but with the cold looks he often gave her, she couldn't help but feel it. It didn't matter to her anyways, since she wasn't exactly that fond of him either. Most of the time, she just couldn't wait to get as far away from him as possible. A gut feeling told her that she and him would never be able to get along without the need to choke each other.

Mako moved to stand directly in front of where Korra was sitting, his usual condescending stare only doubling in intensity since he was, literally, looking down on her. "You're on my team for scrimmage," he said simply. "Don't screw it up."

Korra glared back, crinkling her nose in the most unattractive fashion. "Don't count on it, Cap." And with that, she pushed her palms against the grass and rose to her feet. "Come on, we're burning daylight." She jogged to her offensive position next to Bolin, half-crouching as she hopped from foot to foot to prepare herself. Bolin watched her with an amused expression, continuing his stretches. "You ready to kick some ass?" She winked at him playfully.

Mako inhaled sharply, trying to ignore Korra's confidence. "We're about to start. Be serious or you'll be running suicides instead," he threatened.

Korra straightened up, rolling her eyes, but still kept the soft smile for Bolin.

"Hey, Korra," he said seriously, "watch out for Tahno, okay? You know he plays dirty." He nodded towards the opponent, watching him punch his fist against his palm to crack his knuckles before giving Korra and him a sideways glare.

Tarrlok blew the whistle and threw the ball into the air, both Korra and Tahno lunging for it instantaneously. Everything was happening so fast that no one saw his muscular shoulder curve slightly to jab Korra at the neck, causing her to fall on her side and watch helplessly as the other team gained control of the ball. All she could hear was Mako's voice, shouting at her to get on her feet. Anger rose from her core and she punched the ground before sprinting after Tahno, sliding on the grass with a protruding leg just as he was about to cross the halfway line. The unforeseen tackle was precise enough not only to cause Tahno to fall flat on his face, but also allowed the ball to be kicked straight to one of Korra's team members, who swiveled around, running past the confused defenders to shoot an easy goal.

Compliments were cheered in Korra's direction as Tahno got to his feet and rubbed his now swollen chin. "That bitch is gonna get it," he hissed. His steely grey eyes were fixed on the sole female member of the team, curiosity striking him as he watched her bump fists with Bolin and then glance back at Mako, who made sure to show that he wasn't impressed.

"What's it take to impress the guy?" Korra questioned abruptly.

Bolin turned to look at Tarrlok. "He seems pretty impressed to me. Who are you talking about?"

"Never mind," Korra said quickly. "Let's just win this thing so that we don't have to sprint suicides."

"Sounds like a good idea," Bolin laughed, though still confused about who Korra was talking about.

~:*:~

After practice, the winning team, which had been Mako's side, went straight for the shower rooms. The match was close, Tahno's team only losing by a point, but the rules were taken very seriously and the losing team was still forced to sprint suicides. This meant that Korra would be one of the first to see what position she would play this season. And scribbled on the white sheet of paper next to Korra's name was the dreaded word _Substitute_. Of course, the first thing that came to Korra's mind was Mako.

While trying to retain some dignity, she turned on her heel, fists clenched, jaw tight, and more than eager to sock the living daylights out of a certain team captain.

She caught him walking towards the locker rooms, his head ducked down, going through some papers in his hands. She'd told herself earlier that she would handle the situation civilly, because she figured that if she played the nice card, he'd eventually move her up on the ladder.

But she found out that her fist had a mind of its own when it connected with his jaw on its own accord. "Korra, _what the hell_?" he shouted, looking at her like she'd gone insane. Maybe she had.

"Substitute? You placed me as a _substitute!_" Her voice rose higher with every word, attracting the attention of the other team members, Bolin looking between his brother and Korra. "I know I might not be as good as some of the guys, but come on, Mako, this is _low _even for you!" she raged, the thought of strangling him becoming more tempting.

Mako watched her in silence as he rubbed his jaw. He let her shove him in the chest, although he was clearly unfazed by it since he towered over her.

"You're a sexist son of a bitch and if you had any, I'd kick you in the balls!" she screamed blatantly in his face.

Kicks and punches, he could handle calmly, but any questions or attacks on his manhood caused the "cool under pressure" Mako to be, well, _not _cool. He grabbed her by the shoulders roughly before bending down to swing her over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"Put me down!" she demanded deafeningly whilst pounding on his back. "Put me down or I swear I'll scream rape." He only glared at her. "Rape. Rape! RAPE! RAAAAPE!"

The dizziness from practice and then being hoisted onto someone's back without warning caught up to her, and, for a moment, her vision blurred. She wasn't sure if he'd put her down or not until she felt the cold shower tiles beneath her. And then ice water flew from the metal nozzle and soaked her in freezing liquid. Surprisingly, it did cool her temper down a bit.

"Mako, what the hell's your problem?" She heard Bolin say, almost angrily, right before the ice shower was put to a halt.

"Teach her how to control her temper," Mako ground out through clenched teeth. "And make sure she reads things right before cussing someone out on it."

When Korra read the list again, she'd realized that she had been placed as a forward.

~:*:~

"Hey Bolin," Korra greeted softly, "would you mind lending a girl some frozen veggies of some kind? Tahno's little sneak attack on my neck left behind quite a colorful bruise."

Bolin chuckled lightly. "Sure, join the club." His eyes flickered over to the couch where Mako was sitting, holding a package of frozen corn to his jaw.

Amber eyes clashed with blue ones and for once, Korra was intimidated. "I'll just wait here," she said casually.

"Actually, there's something Mako wanted to say to you anyways."

Korra looked at Mako who resembled a five year old caught stealing a cookie. "Look," she began awkwardly . . .

"I'm sorry," they blurted simultaneously.

"I shouldn't have turned the cold shower on you like that."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have." A moment of silence, and then a look from Bolin. "I mean, and I shouldn't have called you a stupid asshole jerk."

"You didn't." Another moment of silence.

"Oh." She glanced at her hands awkwardly. "Well, since we're being honest," she shrugged, "I was thinking it."

"Oookay," Bolin interjected, covering Korra's mouth, "so why don't we fast forward the honesty session and get to the important stuff. Mako why don't you tell Korra what we found in the school newspaper today."

Mako tossed the gray newspaper onto the coffee table. Korra sat down beside him before reaching out to grab it. She hissed a little at the strain it put on her neck, and Mako handed her his frozen corn bag. She took it appreciatively, giving him a small smile. "Thanks."

He nodded, but didn't say anything, his eyes focused on the newspaper in her hand.

Korra didn't even have to turn the page to see what Mako and Bolin were worried about, since pictures of her, Bolin, and Mako were spread across the first page of the newspaper, each with their own caption. The photos varied from when she had gone to visit Bolin at the ice-cream parlor all the way up to today's events with her shoving Mako in chest. The headline read in big bold letters 'IS THERE TROUBLE BREWING BETWEEN THE FIRE FERRET BROTHERS?**'**

Mako sighed. "There's a good chance that Amon had something to do with whatever happened in the locker rooms today." He looked at Bolin. "Somehow he thinks that you're going to be the one that separates us." Mako's words held some ambiguity to them, because neither Bolin nor Korra knew what he meant by '_us'_. He noticed the quizzical expression on Korra's face and continued, "Just watch out."

"I know, I know," Korra said, bored of hearing the same thing over and over again. "Blah, blah, blah, don't do anything stupid."

He stared at the side of her face for a while, finally adding, "I mean it. Be careful. Amon's going to do everything in his power to try and bring the Fire Ferret's down."

Korra looked at him directly in the eye, and somehow, his gaze wasn't at hard as it had usually been. She searched his eyes and saw nothing but soft sincerity. "Don't you worry your pretty little butt about me, Mako. I've got my own back covered."

And for the first time, she saw him smile. "You're part of a team now, Korra, and whether you like it or not, I've got your back."

He'd meant to say, '_we've got your back'_, but nonetheless, from that day, Korra had begun giving him the same look of affection she gave to Bolin.

* * *

Aaaaand cut! So, yeah, this was another "building up plot" chapters. And although you might not have known, this chapter is CRAWLING with hints and clues to future chapters. Some are blatant, while others are not as easily found. Hehe :P

I'll update when I reach **125 **reviews. (P.S. The kids on the Maximum Ride fandom beat you guys at reviewing ;) haha)

Anyone else see the build up of Mako and Korra's relationship? I must say that even after my heart literally ACHES for this couple that I'm still a loyal Makorrian. However, I love Bolin and the whole brother aspect, y'know? And seriously, although I like Tahno, I left fanfic for a week and suddenly ALL the stories on the first page were Tahorra. Like, WTF? Haha. Sorry, my Makorrian side took over :P

I hope you guys had a good Memorial Day! :D


	4. Unexpected

**Heartbreaker, Playmaker**

Heeeere's the 4th chapter that will hopefully illustrate_ why _I titled this story "Heartbreaker, Playmaker" aka more twists will be unraveled. This is a very short chapter because I'm in a rush to update my other stories (which you should check out :p shameless advertising lol). They're just one click away :D

Disclaimer: I don't own LoK, but this plot and any unrecognizable characters are mine.

* * *

**Unexpected**

"Hey," Korra greeted, sitting down next to a fellow Fire Ferret. "Whatcha doin'?" She craned her neck over his left shoulder to peek at the notepad in his hands, which only served at earning her a glare. "Okay, okay, it's a diary. I get it. It's where you write your intimate thoughts and talk about your dreams and aspirations," she joked, hoping to get even a crack of a smile from him. He didn't respond and Korra tried recovering from the sting of rejection. All she could do was sit silently, her hands delicately placed on her lap as she watched people walking by stare at them. "What's up with all the weird looks we're getting?"

Mako raised his head for the first time since she arrived. "Games are taken very seriously here and it's the first time in almost a decade that a girl has been good enough to make the team. Everyone'll be watching you tonight, Korra."

"Gee, thanks, Mako. As if I wasn't stressed enough about falling flat on my face on the field in front of all our peers." She smiled when she saw the slight twitch in the corner of his mouth.

"Just don't be reckless."

The smile vanished off of her face quicker than it had taken for it to get there. "Can't we ever talk about something that's not related to soccer or me being a screwup?"

"Soccer is all we have in common. There's not much else to talk about."

~:*:~

"Bo, have you seen Korra?" Mako called from across the locker room. He tugged his socks over his shin guards before making his way over to his brother. "I was with her earlier, but then she ran off, saying that she had to check up on Naga."

Bolin gave Mako a knowing look, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Did she run off or did you chase her away? And yes, Mako, there _is _a difference."

Mako was silent for a moment. He _had _said some mean things to her. "Why does it matter? She was supposed to be here five minutes ago!" He took another moment to scan the room and noticed that another member of the team was missing. "Blaine, where's your man Yuri?"

"Not sure, said he had a date with some chick though."

The door flung open in the next instant, a fuming Korra on the other side. She was already geared up in her uniform, but something about her seemed off. Mako glanced at her for a second time, noticing that her hair wasn't in its usual updo. Her brown locks, which barely grazed her shoulder blades, complemented her skin tone perfectly, making her glow under the fluorescent lights. She would have looked beautiful . . . if only she didn't look like she wanted to murder someone.

"Where the hell were you, Korra?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, leaning against a wall as she waited for the rest of the team to get into their uniforms. "I'm not in the mood, Mako."

Bolin gave her a worried sideways glance, but knew when to back off. Mako, on the other hand, couldn't take a hint. "Well you better have a damn good excuse for almost being late to a game."

"Newsflash, Brainiac, but I'm the only one in this room that's fully dressed. And secondly, _my_ private life is none of _your_ business." She pointed out, her tone particularly bitter.

In the midst of Mako's reply, Yuri barged into the room, sending the door crashing into the wall, startling everyone besides Korra. She remained nonchalant against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, looking at everything and everyone besides Yuri and Mako.

Yuri gave her a longing glance before setting his duffel bag down on the ground and removing his shirt. Korra scoffed and turned her head the other way, Mako watching the two of them carefully.

Yuri was one of the senior players on the team and his renowned tackles, along with his good looks, gained him a lot of attention, especially from the Fire Ferret fan girls. He was half European and half Asian, his skin tone similar to Mako's and Bolin's, but he retained his jet black hair, accentuating his strikingly handsome face.

"Bolin, you're goalie. We can't afford the other team getting any goals today." Mako patted his younger brother on the back, then directed his attention to the rest of the team. "This is our first game of the season and Coach Tarrlok informed me that the weakest player today will have to do twice as many push ups at practice tomorrow. So if I were you, I'd play hard."

Mako felt Korra roll her eyes behind him and while it aggravated him, he didn't want to give her a reason to sabotage the game.

~:*:~

"What the hell are you doing, Korra? Are you purposely _trying _to sabotage the game or are you just stupid?"

"Hey, man, don't talk to her like that."

Mako turned around, Yuri walking towards them. "You should be defending me. You were open at least four times back there and she hadn't passed to you once. What kind of game you playing at, Korra? You think you can do this by yourself?"

"That's enough, Mako." Yuri stepped in between his teammates, Korra staying silent behind him. "I'll talk to her."

"Good luck trying to get anything past that thick skull of hers," Mako said, leaving the two to solve their own problems and yet, he couldn't help but look back at the two from a distance. Yuri pleading with her, Korra trying to look indifferent, and when he looked back at them again, she was storming away.

He didn't know what Yuri had said to her, but whatever it was, Korra became a different player. She was focused and had only one thing in mind—kick as many balls into the net as possible. Her new found enthusiasm cost the other team the game, the Fire Ferrets winning 8-2.

Mako searched for Korra after the game, but she was nowhere to be found. He searched for Yuri next and when he couldn't find either of them, the twist in his stomach became more evident. He rushed to the locker rooms, barely hearing the congratulations shouted in his direction.

"We can't keep doing this, Korra." He heard Yuri say. "They're going to find out sooner or later."

Korra was seated on one of the benches, her face buried in her hands. "I told you when we started this that no one would find out. No strings attached. You agreed to that," she whispered. "It's what _you_ wanted."

"It _was _what I wanted. I didn't—" he paused and Korra looked up at him, dreading to hear his next words. "I didn't expect to fall in love with you."

"Yuri, I'm sorry but . . . I don't feel the same way. This was just for fun, I wasn't looking for a relationship." She sighed softly before standing up and then walking over to him, placing her head on his chest. She expected him to move away, but he had come to love her enough to respect her decision, even if it hurt him.

Yuri kissed her hair lovingly, holding her tightly to his chest. "Is there someone else?"

Korra nodded tentatively. "There's someone I left back at home," she said softly. "I guess I've just been trying to forget him all this time. I didn't mean to hurt you, Yuri."

Mako pulled back when he heard the door behind him open, the rest of the team cheering. "Hey there Captain, we've been looking all over for you! The boys and I think that we need to celebrate our first win. So whuddya say, bro?"

"Yeah, sounds great."

He looked back to where Korra and Yuri had been standing. Neither were found the rest of the night . . .

* * *

So yup, short chapter. I know, I know. But good news is that I'm FINALLY on summer break right now! Updates will be VERY frequent. Anywho, that last line is supposed to get your mind thinking "ooh, where are Korra and Yuri?". Aaaand, so it turns out that Korra is quite a heartbreaker, PLUS she's got some other guy back home waiting for her . . . Whut?

Anywho, please feel free to press that button down below! I'll update after I get a total of **150 **reviews ;) Until then . . . you keep thinking about who that "someone" Korra mentioned could be. And tell me, do you like this Yuri guy? Yes, no, maybe so?

Happy Summer guys!


	5. People from the Past

**Heartbreaker, Playmaker**

Hey guys! Here's the 5th chapter to "Heartbreaker, Playmaker". Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own LoK.

* * *

**People from the Past**

Mako raised his head at the graying clouds, his brown hair blowing in the wind as he walked to the soccer field where his team awaited him with anticipation. Amon had struck again, publishing another article to slander the good name of the Fire Ferrets and Tarrlok hadn't been too happy with it. He organized a meeting with all the department heads, and the Dean, Lin Beifong, called for all members of the newspaper and photography clubs to be questioned.

"Fifty pushups," Mako shouted, "and when you're done, ten suicides and five sprints around the field. If I see anyone slacking off, you'll be doing double."

Korra looked around at her teammates, their faces neutral and showing no sign of annoyance by their captain's behavior. She figured that none of them had the guts to speak up, but she also figured that she shouldn't be doing an insane number of suicides and sprints solely because some nuisance caught them having a good time.

"Why are you doing this?" Korra asked, immediately gaining the attention of her team. "We're not the enemy, Mako. We're your teammates. And it's not like we're purposely trying to get into trouble."

"Twenty suicides."

At this, Korra stood up, furious. "For what? For speaking my mind?" She knew what she was getting herself into, but she continued. "Mako, they don't deserve to be punished just because there's some guy taking pictures of us and making a big deal about it."

"That's enough! Thirty suicides," Mako threatened, "and if I hear another word you'll be running forty."

Maybe if Bolin had been at practice that day, Korra wouldn't have said, "Make me run a hundred, but it won't make what your doing right!"

"You all need to be taught that everything you do comes with consequences," Mako quipped, though he only spoke to her, barely even glancing at the rest of the team. "And what you're doing right now is going to earn yourself a weeks worth of aching muscles."

She glared, having never been this angry with him. "Try me."

Luckily for her, and unfortunately for Mako, drops of liquid began falling from the sky, and for the first few seconds, it was a light drizzle, but quickly turned into a heavy pelting of water and wind. And if it weren't for the streaks of light that flashed in the sky, Mako wouldn't have allowed practice to be cancelled so easily, though half of his team was drenched in rain.

"Not you," Mako yelled through the storm. He made his way to Korra, roughly grabbing her by the shoulder to ensure eye contact. "You owe me suicides. Right here. Right now," he said seriously, pointing at the field.

Korra looked at him disbelievingly, but her pride and stubborn nature got the better of her and she went accordingly. He quirked an eyebrow, surprised that she was actually doing something without being told twice. But he didn't stop her. There was way too much to be enjoyed.

With her back turned, she gave him the bird while trudging to one end of the field. Mako crossed his arms, smirking as he shook his head, clearly amused by how far Korra's tenacity would take her.

She bent down to touch her toes, her fingers curling around the tip of her cleats, which helped her hold the position for a good thirty seconds. Mako eyed her technique before bellowing, "I don't have all day."

She repeated the exercise again, ignoring her captain, before sitting on the ground and stretching her hamstrings. "I'm not going to pull a muscle because some jerk can't wait five extra minutes!" she yelled back, but oddly enough, she stopped and got to her feet anyways.

The first five suicides were a breeze for Korra, she'd gone through a fair share of brutal conditioning in her lifetime, but after the seventh, her pace neared a jog. A complete suicide was equivalent to more than 200 yards, and sprinting thirty was nearly impossible, even for the polished professionals.

But Korra had something to prove to Mako. She would show him that even if he made her do an infinite amount of suicides, he would have accomplished nothing. She was just _that_ determined. Or crazy.

Mako yelled at her to pick up her pace, and she did for a while until her shoelace got tangled underneath the studs of her cleats and she was falling face first. Her arms shot in front of her to break her fall, palms and knees scraping against the grass, the crash sending waves of exhaustion throughout her body. Her heart raced and her lungs burned with every breath she took, her chest aching more than her legs. But she did what she was used to doing, and pushed through the pain, hands fisting the grass as she looked to the ground for support. She was on her hands and knees, shaking, ready to give it another go, when her body told her otherwise.

Her lunch surged from deep in her belly, into her throat, filling her senses with the nauseating scent of putrid bile. Her arms shook as she struggled to hold her weight, spewing the contents of her stomach onto the ground below her. Suddenly, she was aware of every bead of rain that made contact with her body, each one like a sledgehammer to her back.

She was so caught up in the agony that she failed to notice Mako kneeling beside her, his hand rubbing gentle circles through her sodden cotton shirt. It sounded like he was saying something, but she couldn't quite make it out over the torrent of rain and her gut wrenching. After completely emptying out her stomach a few minutes later, Korra collapsed on her side, the firm terrain acting like a soft bed as she momentarily allowed herself to be weak in front of someone.

Mako's next action came as a surprise. With the utmost care, he raised Korra's head so that he could tuck his legs underneath her neck, allowing her to rest on his lap. She opened her mouth to speak, but Mako shushed her before she could argue. Gazing up at his face, she expected him to be angry, but what she didn't expect was her breath catching in her throat. Because, above her, was the quintessence of the perfect man.

His long eyelashes dripped with water every time he blinked, his eyes conveying hardness yet buried inside they were filled with warmth, and his jaw tightened just enough to make Korra think that he held just the slightest amount of concern for her. It was here, at this moment, that Korra began to wonder if there was another side to Mr. Hat Trick. Like he was covering up a part of himself. She knew that despite acting like a drill sergeant during games and practices, he did have a soft side that he reserved only for Bolin. Sure, he was Mako's brother, but the way that they always seemed to depend on each other gave Korra the idea that something had happened to make them so close.

She was just getting comfortable when Mako started shifting under her. In a few seconds, he had pulled something out of his pocket and waved it above her face. "Gum?" he asked, handing her a piece.

Korra chuckled, accepting what she figured to be a peace offering. "You're still a jerk," she reminded him. "My joints hurt so bad, I might end up having to stay here the entire night." She smiled at the end to let him know that she wasn't angry. And her smile was so infectious that it caused Mako to give out an unrestrained laugh, which was soon followed by one of hers, and for a while, the two just laughed off their unseen melancholies, forgetting the trouble and chaos of the real world.

~:*:~

"You know, I'm starting to think that you're only carrying me to use me as a raincoat," Korra teased.

Mako smirked. "How'd ya know?"

He would have never told her, but he kind of liked the feel of her arms and legs wrapped around him as he carried her back to the locker rooms. And she had a point, since she was on his back, it did shield him from the rain. Of course, this only caused Korra to complain about it the entire way, her soft lips brushing against his earlobe every now and then.

"Mako?"

He craned his head to look at her since she'd decided to rest her chin on his shoulder. "Huh?"

"Well, I—" she took a sharp breath, "—all this rain . . . it, uh—"

"Spit it out, Korra."

"I have to pee," she whined, squeezing her arms tight around his neck.

"What!"

"I have to pee," she repeated.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Does the bladder ever lie?"

"Dammit! Korra, I swear, if you piss on me—"

"Oh calm down, we're walking in rain, soaking wet," and just to spite him, she added, "even if I did, you would never know."

"Well, how long do you think you can hold it?"

"Forty-five seconds."

Mako groaned, throwing his head back before running into a full out sprint; and for Korra, seeing her captain freaking out was definitely worth the suicides she had done earlier.

In the locker rooms, after Korra had taken care of her business, and all the laughs and giggles had subsided, she took a moment to look at Mako and couldn't help but wonder if he would be different tomorrow, revolving back into his austere temperament. She kind of hoped that he didn't, because she realized that she really liked this side of him. "Mako," she said quietly, "thanks for not completely being a jerk today."

He threw her a smile before pulling his damp shirt over his head, Korra catching a glimpse of his nicely toned abs. which caused her to look away shyly, the slightest blush coloring her cheeks as she frantically searched for something else to look at. But it was like her eyes were drawn to his divinely sculpted body. So while he had his bare back turned to her, he swung his locker open and low and behold, a picture fell to Korra's feet. Apparently he hadn't noticed, because he focused on continuing to organize his locker shelves. Curious, Korra leaned over and took the photo in her hands.

"Didn't know you were into stalking supermodels," she snorted, staring at the girl in the picture.

She had long, wavy, dark brown hair, beautifully framing her thin face, which created a contrast to her bright milky skin. Emerald irises accentuating her almond shaped eyes. Eyelashes carefully lined with a hint of mascara. Bright red lipstick that would surely look childish on other girls drew the look together, and evoked the slightest bit of jealousy from Korra.

Mako turned around and saw the photo in her hand. "She's not a supermodel," he corrected. "She's my girlfriend."

"Good one," she laughed, feigning mirth, "but seriously, who is she?" The longer Korra looked at the picture, the more familiar the girl seemed, but she just couldn't place a finger on it.

"I told you already," he replied, putting on a dry shirt as he simultaneously stuck his feet into a pair of sneakers.

"Does she go to school here?"

Mako nodded. "Yeah, but she took her first semester in London, she'll be back in a few days."

Well, there goes Korra's theory on Mako being single his entire life. It was like the guy was born into the world with the sole purpose of proving her wrong.

~:*:~

Korra looked up from her lunch to notice a furious looking Mako pulling up a seat next to her. She watched the side of his face, his nostrils flaring in a way she'd never seen before. She almost felt bad for whoever it was that caused him this much anger. Korra bit into her sandwich quietly with wide eyes, watching as Mako struggled to unclench his fists on the table. Finally, she asked, "What's got your trousers in a bunch?"

Mako glared at her. "Some idiot dented my car."

"Oooh," Korra hissed, "so who's the unlucky bastard?" She looked around them, wondering if she could pick out the culprit merely on their expression and the copious amounts of sweat bound to be dripping down their face. Mako doted on his car like it was his own child, and being a member of the Fire Ferrets, Korra _knew _that he wasn't going to let the guy who damaged his precious baby off the hook that easily.

"A guy visiting the campus," Mako ground out, "if he went to school here, I woulda knocked him out."

Korra smirked, her sandwich twice as enjoyable now that she had a show to go along with it. But the joke was soon turned on her as a familiar voice called her name and she looked up from the table, swallowing her tongue in the process. She was beginning to mistrust her eyes, because surely, she couldn't be seeing right. It was impossible. She had left him 800 miles behind, trying to escape the life that she lived when she was with him, but he'd managed to follow her.

"Howl?"

* * *

Hmm. I'm surprised that not a lot of people knew who it was going to be :P

Sooo, both Asami and Howl have been introduced and I have something pretty interesting up my sleeve ;) Also, I don't know how many of you guys play soccer, but suicides are KILLER. The name speaks for itself. Bleh :/

Anyways, I'm starting to think people are losing interest in this story because they're putting it on "Story Alert" or on their "Favorites", but aren't even reviewing! As a writer, this just drives me insane! So, if you put it on story alert or something, could you please review? I wouldn't be so upset if the amount of people doing this was low, but it's fairly high and it's very frustrating.

Now that I'm done with my author's rant, Happy Father's Day! :D I just came back from an amazing brunch and I'm so stuffed right now I didn't bother to proofread :p

I'll update when I reach **200** reviews! The number's kinda high because I'll be busy this week, but ya never know. Reviews can do a writer magic ;)


	6. New Discoveries

**Heartbreaker, Playmaker **

Hiya dudes, here's chapter 6 :D I'm telling you this now: READ THIS CHAPTER CAREFULLY. There's TONS of foreshadowing.

Also, when you're done, please check out my other story for LoK called **"Serendipity"** ;)

Enjoy!

**Edit: I've put this chapter back up because I found a semi-smooth transition from this to the next! Chapter 7 is up now :D**

* * *

**New Discoveries **

"Bro, explain to me again why you're getting so worked up about this Howl guy asking Korra out for dinner?" Bolin asked as he lay on the floor, handing his fire ferret an orange slice before eating one himself. "I really don't see the big deal."

"You don't get it, Bo. You should have been there," Mako said. "He was acting like he was some kind of big shot. He dented my car for Pete's sake and all he could say was how he was going to pay for all the damages, but didn't even apologize! It was like he figured that since he was going to pay for everything that he didn't need to say sorry."

"You sound like a five year old," Bolin chuckled, raising himself on his arms before standing up. "And you mean to tell me that you would prefer an apology over having a complete stranger pay for your car bill?" he asked. "And besides, you're not exactly Mr. Apology either."

Mako rolled his eyes, though his brother had a point. At the end of the day, he had won. So why was he so upset?

~:*:~

Korra laughed at one of Howl's jokes as she sliced through her steak.

She and Howl went way back. Their parents were business partners and everywhere Korra was dragged, Howl was dragged. It was their shared resentment of the parties and picnics they were forced to attend that brought them together.

"But really Korra," he said suddenly, catching her off guard, "how are you?"

She gave him a small smile, shrugging. "I don't know. Fine, I guess. I'm sleeping, eating, swimming, and playing soccer. Life's good," she joked, leaning back in her chair. She managed to get a chuckle out of him, but he ended up staring at her, and insecurity bubbled inside of Korra. "What? Is there something on my face?" she asked, picking up a napkin from the table and patting it against her mouth.

Howl shook his head, trying to contain a smile. "No, it's just that . . . you've grown up on me. You're not the little kid that used to follow me around anymore."

A blush formed on Korra's cheek, her blue eyes averting his grey ones. Memories of them as children flittered through her consciousness: the good, the bad, and the really good. When she was little, she'd thought of him as a big brother since he was a few years older than her. But as soon as she reached her teenage years, Korra had formed a little crush on her best friend.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not."

The corners of Howl's lips curved into a smile and he bent forward to touch her hand on the table. His hand was soft, free from any calluses, as it cupped around hers. And his eyes were so warm and caring that Korra momentarily forgot the heartbreak he had caused her back when they were kids. He raised her hand to his slightly chapped lips before closing his eyes and kissing it. When he opened them again, Korra was staring at him, her eyes wide with joy. "Korra," he began slowly, "would you be my Groom's Attendant?"

Her sudden euphoria was terminated by his words. "Your what?"

"You know, like a Best Man, but since you're female, the proper term would be a Groom's Attendant."

She _knew_ what it was, but for some reason, she had a hard time understanding what he was saying.

"Korra, Em and I are getting married and I want you to be my Groom's Attendant."

At this, Korra roughly pulled her hand away from him, her face painted with shock and melancholy, eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her hands flew to her mouth as she struggled to breathe. She could hear Howl calling her name as several waiters and waitresses rushed to their table. Too many people touching her. Too many people asking if she was okay. Korra wasn't even sure if she was crying. She was just so hurt. So devastated.

So she did what she was best at and ran.

A multitude of diners stared in her direction—watching the beautiful girl run out of one of New York's swankiest restaurants. They didn't see the sorrow on her face, which was her reason for running. They only witnessed beauty, and like a fleeting memory, in an instant, it was gone.

~:*:~

Mako was walking back to campus from work since he currently didn't have a car. It was undergoing repairs today thanks to Korra's friend Howl. On the bright side, it was a perfect night for taking a walk. And he managed to get the attention of some of the girls who passed him.

He was continuing on his merry way, gazing up at the bright signs of numerous deli and bakery boutiques, when a blunt force knocked him down. He was sent crashing to the cold cement before a heavy weight on his back left him breathless. Whatever it was on top of him was _quaking. _

"I'm so sorry," she murmured into his neck, raising herself off of his body. "I wasn't watching where I was going." Her words were muffled and incoherent by more than the fact that she had just fallen. It sounded like she was crying.

Mako got up after her, dusting himself off before turning around to see who had caused him to fall. His gaze started from her feet and then slowly rose up her body. The dress she wore simply embodied pure elegance. He could tell that the material was light, possibly silk, because of the way it moved freely with the wind. The rich champagne color flattered her smooth complexion while the dress itself seamlessly accentuated her feminine curves. She was _stunning_.

"Korra?" he asked, shock seeping into his voice. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Howl."

When he didn't get the sassy reply he was expecting, he became worried. Instinct caused him to scan her arms and legs for any signs of assault and was relieved when he didn't find any. "Korra, are you okay?" He placed a warm hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

He didn't expect her to say that she was fine and he didn't expect her to feel comfortable telling him.

And he definitely didn't expect for her to walk into his chest and wrap her arms around his neck, crying. But she did.

And the last thing he expected of _himself_ was to envelop her small frame into a tight hug, allowing her to cry into the crook of his neck as people quietly passed by.

But he did.

~:*:~

"You sure you're okay?" Mako asked as he poured Korra a glass of milk. "If you want, I can wake Bolin up, because as you probably already know, having meaningful conversations isn't exactly my forte."

Korra smiled and continued stroking Pabu's fur while Naga lay on the floor by her feet. "Don't wake him up, he has a Social Sciences exam first thing in the morning." She was firm believer of getting a good night's sleep before a big test.

Mako raised an eyebrow before seating himself on the couch next to her. "You're just like him," he snickered. "I don't believe in that. When you take a test, your grade is based on whether you've studied the information enough. Not on how many hours of sleep you get the night before." He handed her the glass of milk and watched as she titled her head back and chugged it before setting it on the coffee table with a '_clink'_.

"Well, say you haven't studied the information thoroughly enough and you can't even bullshit your answers," she argued. "Or what if the test is multiple choice and you're too tired to even read the choices right. Or what if—"

Mako laughed, "Why do we always do this, Korra?"

"Do what?"

"This," he said. "Argue, fight. We're always trying to one up each other."

Korra smirked and leaned over to pinch his nose, moving it from side to side. "But you're kind of cute when you get all serious," she cooed playfully, laughing when he pulled away.

"Your fingers smell like ferret fur," he teased.

She covered Pabu's ears, feigning a look of offense before lifting the ferret above her head. "Don't listen to him, Pabu. You smell delightful. Unlike that smelly man over there," she cooed, pointing one of Pabu's paws at Mako.

Mako smiled. He never noticed that Korra had a sense of humor. _And she's great with animals, _he thought. _Pabu loves her. _

In a few minutes, Korra was occupied playing with Pabu, and Mako busy watching Korra, when Naga had started barking at the TV.

"Naga, what's the matter girl?" The dog continued to bark and Korra raised her head to look at the TV, her eyes widening. "Uh, Mako, where's the remote?" she asked, placing Pabu on the couch before standing up to frantically search for the clicker. "Mako!" When she turned back around, his eyes were glued to the television screen currently on a local news channel. "Mako, please!"

_Howard Caldwell Jr., son of Miami philanthropist Howard Caldwell, is engaged to Emiko Sato, the daughter of a well-known rival of Blake & Caldwell enterprises. It is to our knowledge that Mr. Caldwell is doing everything in his power to break the couple apart, or else he will soon be welcoming a member of the Sato family into—_

The screen turned black and Mako turned to see Korra standing behind the couch, remote in hand. "What'd you do that for?" he asked. "They were talking about Asami's sister."

* * *

Did ya understand the ending? :O Because if you did, it's supposed to be a big WTF moment.

So originally, Korra was supposed to be all emotional in this chapter, but I decided against it last minute, since I admire Korra for being strong and not being some weak damsel in distress, y'know? That's why this chapter was updated so late; I wasn't feeling the vibe lol. Also, this chapter is dedicated to **maila08 **for getting me to update haha :p

I tried adding some Makorra fluff before I introduced Asami. Then I can start being evil and play with your hearts :D hehe

Now for shameless advertising! xD Please check out my new story **"Serendipity"**. It's about Mako and Korra growing up together as members of the Triple Threat Triad. Please, please check it out and if you like it, leave a review, because I'm having doubts on whether or not to continue it since not a lot of people are reviewing :/

But honestly guys, you were frickin' **AMAZING **in reviewing for the last chapter! I was seriously starting to lose hope for this story, but getting 76 reviews for one chapter sure did change my mind (:

Can we please try to aim for **275 **reviews? Pretty pwease?

Random question: When you guys imagine this story in your head, do you picture them as cartoons or actual people? Because I imagine them as real people :P Weird, I know. But I'm really curious on how you guys imagine them!

Hope you're enjoying summertime! 8)

**Edit: I've put this chapter back up because I found a semi-smooth transition from this to the next! Chapter 7 is up now :D**


	7. Teammate-Zoned

**Heartbreaker, Playmaker**

Hey guys! Heeeeeere's chapter 7! :)

* * *

**Teammate-Zoned**

"Mako, can you get the door?" Bolin called from the bathroom. "I'm in the middle of shaving off my weekend stubble. This gorgeous face doesn't just come on its own ya know."

The elder brother rolled his eyes and went to get the door, surprised at who he found on the other side. "What are you doing here?" he said briskly.

"Have you seen Korra?" Howl asked, ignoring the other man's brashness. "She kind of ran off on me last night and I've been calling her since, but she hasn't been answering her phone. Do you know where I can find her?"

"No," Mako lied. He was an honest guy, but there was no way that he was going to turn on Korra.

Howl scratched the back of his head. "My flight back to Miami is this afternoon." He pursed his lips before reaching into his back pocket and taking out an ivory colored envelope. "If you see her, could you please give this to her. It's really important that she gets it." He paused and looked down at his feet. "And tell her that I'm sorry."

~:*:~

Korra groaned as she staggered into the locker room. She was fifteen minutes late to practice.

"What happened to you?" Tahno sneered. "You look like hell."

As much as Korra wanted to punch him in the face, she restrained herself, knowing that she only had five minutes to get ready. In girl time that meant she only had about half a minute. "Damn it," she cursed, tugging off her sneakers. "Bolin, can you help me get dressed?"

Bolin grinned at her, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "If you insist."

She smacked his arm playfully and told him to get her uniform, while she frantically began unbuttoning her blouse. Bolin knelt down and started ransacking through her duffel bag, handing her a jersey and then her shorts. But as he searched for her socks in the front pocket, he found an orange vial containing pills instead. Luckily, Korra was too busy trying to get her head through her jersey that she didn't notice him. He stuffed the vial back into her bag and continued searching for her socks, momentarily disregarding what he had just seen.

Scrimmage wasn't as forgiving as Bolin. Korra had been put on the same team as Tahno, both as forwards. So she shouldn't have been surprised the first time he tackled her to the ground. Or the fourth time when he basically just stuck out a leg to trip her. Needless to say, their teamwork—or _lack _thereof—cost them the match and five sprints around the field. Coach Tarrlok even had to give the two a little speech about teamwork, complete with the whole "there's no _I _in team" spiel, and when Korra had finally reached the locker rooms, she was grateful that Tahno was nowhere in sight and that the shower room was empty.

In a few minutes, Korra was moaning as cold water cascaded down her body, coaxing her aching muscles. She placed her palms against the tile wall and ducked her head under the faucet, closing her eyes. After a couple of minutes, she stood up straight and turned off the water. When she turned around, twisting her hair, widened gold eyes met hers from the doorway. "What the hell, Mako?" she shrieked, her arms darting to cover her bare breasts.

Even a blind man would have been able to see the bright crimson red wash over Mako's features, his gaze trained on her face, daring not to dip lower.

"Close your eyes dammit!"

Squeezing his eyes as tightly as he could muster, forcing himself to forget the sight of her naked body, her scent of jasmine and vanilla wafted into his nose as she stomped angrily past him. He kind of liked the smell—_her_ smell. Korra looked over her shoulder as she looked through her duffel bag, smiling slightly when she saw that Mako's back was turned to her. Not a lot of guys would pass up a chance to see a naked girl. But Korra _knew _she couldn't pass up a chance to embarrass her captain. Fully clothed, she sauntered back into the shower rooms and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Are you done?" Mako grumbled, trying his best to sound irritated, but he kept in mind that it was _his _fault that he'd walked in on her. So really, he didn't have a right to be annoyed.

"Okay," she said, "you can open your eyes."

Mako did as he was told and found Korra standing in front of him, looking so childlike with her little brown ringlets of hair framing her face. And then a devilish smile crossed her lips and he knew he was in for some trouble. Standing on her tiptoes, Korra squeezed an entire bottle of shampoo onto his head, snickering as she watched the goop trickle onto his face.

"Come here," Mako growled, lunging for her shoulders, but missing by an inch.

Just as Korra thought she was about to make her greatest getaway, sinewy arms grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. "Put me down," she yelped, slapping his forearm. Seeming as though her corporal punishment hadn't worked, Korra craned her neck to give Mako the stink eye, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

"What're you doing?" Mako chuckled.

Korra raised an eyebrow. "What does it look like I'm doing? Or has lack of evolution for the male species left you incapable to think—without help from your _second brain_?"

"What 'second brain' are you talking about, Korra?" he said, not quite catching on. "I can assure you that I only have one brain." His remark was said with such confidence that Korra burst into laughter, quaking in his arms. "What the hell's so funny?"

Pretending to wipe a tear from her eye, she looked at him, amused that he still hadn't caught on. "Your penis, Mako. Your second brain is your penis. And since you just assured me that you 'only have one brain', I guess I'm not the only girl on this team," she teased.

Someone clapped behind them, interrupting Mako before he was able to give his rebuttal. "Well played, doll face." Tahno's husky voice rung in their ears and the two turned around—well, Mako with Korra still wrapped in his arms like he was in the midst of giving her the Heimlich maneuver. He released her awkwardly and she shoved him in the chest good-humoredly. "So what have we got here?" He paused dramatically in between his words, arms crossed over his chest as he looked between the two warily. "The_ captain_ of the Fire Ferrets alone in the locker rooms with a _girl_."

"With a _teammate_," Mako corrected sharply. "Last time I checked this was a locker room. Clearly you're delusional if you thought something else was going on."

Korra looked up at Mako, the sting of his words creeping up on her skin. She thought that at least by now he would have considered her as a friend. But now she was realizing just how foolish she had been. Mako only cared about two things: his brother and his team. And though Korra was on his team now, he would always see her as just that—a teammate.

Tahno's eyes flickered over to her before his lips cracked into a knowing smirk. "You should tell her that," he goaded, before fully turning his attention to the girl. "Look, doll face, I don't know if you know this already, but Mako already has a girlfriend. But if you're ever hot and bothered, I'm always available for a quick booty call."

"You asshole!" Korra snarled, taking an intimidating step in Tahno's direction. "When you stop using an entire bottle of hair gel in the morning, I'll give you a call." She narrowed her eyes at him before grabbing Mako's wrist. "Let's go."

~:*:~

"I'm impressed," Mako told her. "I was expecting you to punch Tahno in the face back there."

"Yeah, well, people change." Korra smiled, bumping her hip against his. "I didn't think he needed another nose job anyways."

Mako laughed, absentmindedly placing his arm around her waist and squishing her to his side. The two casually continued their conversation, but the girl's mind couldn't seem to drift away from the thought of Mako's arm around her.

It was when they reached their dorms that things started to get awkward. They had always known that their dorms were adjoining, and due to Korra's frequently infrequent visits, it had always been in their subconscious that they were neighbors, but neither really thought much of it. A rosy blush suddenly formed on Korra's cheek, remembering the _many _times Yuri had spent the night in her room.

And Mako, who had only just realized that his arm was still draped around her waist, practically snatched his limb away from her as if she had been infected with a disease. "So, I'll see you tomorrow at practice then?" he asked awkwardly. He gave himself a mental smack in the face. Of course she would be at practice!

Korra chuckled as she continued to search for her keys. "Well, actually, I'll be stopping by later. Bolin asked me out on a date tonight," she told him nonchalantly.

Mako didn't know what he was more surprised about. The fact that Bolin had asked Korra out on a date or the fact that Bolin had asked her out when _he was supposed to have dinner with him and Asami_.

"Said some loser friend asked him to go on a double date with him," Korra continued, wiggling her key in the doorknob. She gave him a small smile before pushing her door open. "Well, see you later," she said.

"Yeah, see you later."

~:*:~

Bolin looked on either side of him, like a child crossing the street, before tiptoeing into the dorm. The instant he was half a foot away from the threshold, he sprinted to his room, about to twist the doorknob when a voice called to him from the couch. He cringed.

"Yes, Mako?"

"Can you come here for a second?"

"Uh . . . sure, bro." Bolin walked over to where Mako was sitting on the couch and his green eyes trailed to the ivory envelope on the couch, avoiding his brother's wrathful gaze. "What'd you want to tell me?" he asked, smiling nervously. Although, he already knew what his brother was going to say.

"I thought I told you that you were coming to dinner with Asami and I," Mako said. "Why did you ask Korra out on a double date with one of your loser buddies?"

_Oh, boy._

"Mako," Bolin began slowly, "I asked Korra out on a double date . . . with you and Asami."

* * *

Aaaand CUT! Hehe. I thought that since I was putting this on hiatus for a while that I would be nice and you know, not leave it at a cliffy. But I just couldn't resist! I love cliffies XD

To clear some things up:

1. The envelope that Howl gave to Mako to give to Korra _will_ play an important role in the next chapter.

2. Yes, Asami is going to be introduced in the next chappie. The reason why she invited the _brothers _and not just Mako out to dinner will be also be explained in the next chapter.

**3. Korra has NO CLUE what she's just gotten into. Haha, poor Korra :p**

4. Yes, the "loser friend" that Korra was unknowingly talking about _was _Mako, haha! I don't know if you guys caught that. Me attempting to be humorous lol *shaking head*. We can assume that Mako thought that his brother and Korra were just really good friends, but that he would never ask her out. That's why he was so dumbstruck when Bolin broke the news to him. Silly Mako.

5. I tried to get Tahno to call Korra something like how he calls Korra "Uh-vatar" in this show, so I settled with "doll face"—something annoying, but not necessarily offensive.

Now, things to discuss/think about:

1. What the _hell _did Bolin find in Korra's duffel bag?

2. Hmm, Mako walking in on Korra while she was taking a shower. Awk. Need I say more?

3. And ooooh, Mako just teammate-zoned Korra :P Haha, get it . . . like "friend-zoned".

4. Mako, Asami, Bolin, and Korra are going out on a double date! :O

**Final question:**

**This story is very light-hearted, meaning that it's not **_**too **_**serious, but for the next chapter, would you like it to get serious? Or would you like me to keep it fun?**


	8. Author's Note

Hey guys,

I know it's been forever since I updated. To be honest, I just don't have the time right now, _and_ I haven't had much 'practice' writing lately (aside from all the papers I've been assigned this year :/). So I'm really sorry guys, but I just wanted to let you know what was going on, and that I haven't abandoned this story.

It's just that, when I wrote it, Korra and Mako were still in the love-hate phase of their relationship. As in, they weren't a couple. But after watching the season finale, it's quite difficult writing a story where Mako and Korra aren't a couple yet. Does that make sense?

I'm trying to get myself to write the next chapter, but I really can't :/ Gah. Whatever writing skill I once had is _gone_ -;

*Sigh* So I hope you guys can understand my qualms.

Thanks for reading,

maximumrain3


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